Coles website down after viral Reddit post sees customers buy cases of alcoholic drinks at nearly 80% discount

Coles' website and mobile application experienced multiple outages following a viral Reddit post that exposed a massive discount on alcoholic beverages. On Saturday, the platform repeatedly went offline, displaying messages indicating it was temporarily unavailable. The site returned briefly in the early afternoon before going dark once more, eventually coming back online around 4 p.m. AEST. This disruption followed a widely shared post on Friday by an Australian Reddit user associated with the price-tracking website CW Scanner, which revealed a near 80% discount on 24-packs of premixed alcoholic drinks sold through Coles' Liquorland subsidiary. The post detailed how 24-packs of Jack Daniel’s & Cola 330ml bottles were reduced from $130 to $27, offering a savings of $103. The user, who questioned whether the pricing was a mistake, noted that similar discounts applied to other 24-packs of premixed drinks and beer, bringing their prices close to those of discounted four- or six-packs. The post gained over 180,000 views, prompting numerous users to place orders online using these incorrect prices. Some individuals even managed to secure the deals at local liquor stores, despite the prices not appearing on the Liquorland website itself. As the weekend progressed, Reddit users began reporting that Coles' website had become inaccessible, with some noting that their orders had been canceled. The platform briefly recovered in the late afternoon, though the beer and premixed drinks sections were removed. Later, the site went offline again, leaving customers frustrated and confused. A Coles representative issued a statement confirming awareness of a technical issue impacting the website and app, stating that efforts were underway to restore services. In the statement, the company acknowledged that a technical error had resulted in the incorrect pricing of select 24-pack beer and ready-to-drink (RTD) products. They confirmed that the error had been resolved and that affected customers would be informed. Additionally, any charges related to the mispriced items would be processed according to standard refund procedures. The spokesperson expressed regret for the error and the resulting inconvenience. According to CW Scanner, at least 20 24-packs of beer and 46 cases of premixed drinks were affected by the pricing anomaly. The average savings on beer amounted to approximately $49, while premixed drinks saw an average discount of $111. One of the most substantial reductions occurred on 24-packs of Smirnoff Crush Mango & Peach Zero Sugar 6% 440ml cans, which dropped from $202 to $29, providing a saving of $173. Data from CW Scanner indicates that promotional pricing fluctuations at Coles and Woolworths have often aligned over the past two years. Earlier this year, a court ruled that Coles' "Down Down" promotions sometimes misled consumers into believing they were receiving genuine price reductions. This legal finding highlights ongoing concerns regarding the accuracy and transparency of promotional strategies in the retail sector.